It wasn’t until my brother’s best friend’s house burned to the ground (the fire investigator said the fire was sparked by lint buildup in the dryer) that I began completing regular maintenance on my dryer. I’m ashamed to admit that it took someone else’s tragedy to raise awareness in my own home.
Now it’s happened again.
We have been experiencing unusually mild weather (actually, record breaking temperatures in the 80s) in our neck of the woods, which has enticed many homeowners to get a jump start on spring planting and other yard work. Unfortunately, for one local homeowner his efforts to spruce up his yard ended in tragedy.
I saw the story on the news the other night and can’t stop thinking about it.
The man had been living in the house for nearly 20 years and had spent part of our beautiful weekend outside tending to his yard. Like many homeowners he used mulch in his landscaping. As it turns out the innocent-looking pile of leaves, grass and other biodegradable items turned out to be what caused the fire that destroyed his home, according to fire officials.
The fire investigator told news reporters there was spontaneous combustion in the mulch — they think some embers blew under the cedar siding and ignited.
According to a fire investigator, combustible mulch isn’t a common cause of fires, but it isn’t unheard of either. In fact, our local fire department estimates it responds to about 20 calls per year regarding combustible mulch.
The sad story about the man’s house going up in flames should be a reminder to all us who use mulch to be careful. (No one is saying you should discontinue using mulch all together, it’s just a good idea to be mindful about leaving mulch piles around your home.) Horticultural experts advise homeowners to keep mulch piles 4 to 5 inches away from combustible building materials. They also warn against leaving big piles of wood chips in the sun, just in case.
The man whose house caught on fire (by the way, no one was home at the time so no one got hurt) said he had a 4-to-6-inch layer of mulch around his garage. Experts recommend putting out thin layers– no more than 3 inches.
Hopefully, we can all learn from this man’s mistake.
Related Articles:
Preventing Clothes Dryer Fires
A New Way To Protect Homes From Fires